Septette for the Dead Queen
by Mocha MintCocoa
Summary: They had been together for years. For Arthur, he will do anything. He will stall them as long as it takes by stopping time, if it means that he can save Arthur. -USUK, vampire!AU. (rewritten and reposted as a whole with rating bump to M.)


**A/N:** Initially, this was a four-part story with the explicit contents removed, but I decided to rewrite it and put the chapters as a whole :) Some parts might feel familiar because I feel that they're fine and doesn't need rewriting.

Who cares about the M warning anymore :|

I am really sorry for the super, super late update. orz

Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.

* * *

Septette for the Dead Queen

.

"_Your time is mine... I can stall you for as long as it takes by stopping time!" – Izayoi Sakuya, EoSD._

* * *

**one:  
a bad beginning doesn't always make a bad end.**

* * *

**i.**

Alfred was ten years old the first time he met him.

It was a chilly autumn evening, and Alfred was on his way to the Kirkland mansion to deliver a tray of freshly baked apple pie to the mistress—his mother's old friend—when he saw the poor boy being pushed around by his friends, all bigger and looked intimidating. The boy looked purely scared, but could do nothing except emitting tiny, soft whimpers of 'stop it!', which was ignored.

"Hey, let him go!"

Even Alfred was startled that the yell had come out of him, but grudgingly, his friends dumped the boy on the ground harshly, sneered at him before they looked at Alfred with slight fear. He was older and bigger than those boys at that time, and when Alfred glared, they were all gone, screaming curses and threats to Alfred as they returned to their home.

He approached the boy, now lying on the dirt and sobbing quietly. "Are you alright?" He touched the boy's shoulder lightly. The other flinched, stood up abruptly and glared at Alfred with his big, teary eyes.

"S-Stay away from me!"

He was so weird, with pale blonde hair and even paler skin, as if he had never gone outside to taste the warmth and light of the sunshine. His face was scratched in places, smeared with dirt, but even in the darkness Alfred still could see the gleam of his eyes. They were green and shiny, like the precious emerald stones his mother kept in her jewellery box and wore only in special occasions.

They were so captivating; as if those green eyes were luring him to come closer and succumb.

"I won't hurt you," Alfred tried to convince the other. "Where do you live? I've never seen you before."

"Don't lie to me! I-I know you strangers are a-all the same!" he sniffed again, rubbing the dirt off his face. "You're all mean to me! I-I should have listened to Erin and never go out!"

"Wait... Are you from the Kirkland mansion?" Alfred asked carefully. Erin was one of the people who lived in the mansion, and sometimes she accompanied the mistress if she went to his house.

She was one of the 'beings'.

The boy nodded reluctantly, wiping his tears and snot off before lifting his head to meet Alfred's gaze. "...you know Erin?"

Alfred nodded. "Erin likes to accompany the mistress if she goes to my house. It's over there, just down the hill," he explained, pointing down. "I am going to deliver this pie to Mistress Kirkland. Do you want me to take you to the mansion?"

Hesitantly, the boy nodded. Alfred gently took his wrist around the other's palm and guided him up to the hill where the Kirkland mansion stood.

When they had arrived, Alfred raised his arms to knock on the door, but the boy shook his head. "That's okay. I have the key."

He pulled out a small, silver key from underneath his clothes and unlocked the door, pushing it open with Alfred's help. Upon entering, Alfred saw the maids rushing through the place. Mistress Kirkland stood near the stairs with Erin beside her, both looked very worried.

It was Erin who saw them first. "...Alfred? Is that you?"

Alfred nodded. "I bring Mistress Kirkland's son," he said. They boy shrugged Alfred's palm as he quickly approached them and hugged the mistress's legs, nuzzling his cheeks against her clothes with his eyes wet already.

Erin sighed in relief. She smiled and drifted down, hovering low and closer to Alfred. "Thank you for bringing Arthur back here, Alfred," she said, glancing backwards at the mistress and him. "He is so shy, he only gets close to me and the mistress. Hey, where does that delicious smell come from?"

"It's an apple pie. Mum just baked it," Alfred lifted the basket and handed it to Erin. "I was just halfway through the mansion when I saw him being bullied by several kids. I never know Mistress Kirkland has a son, though. How old is he?" Alfred asked.

Erin was silent for a while before she spoke again. "Alfred," she said quietly. "He is not the mistress's son."

Alfred stared back at her, confused.

"He is my little brother."

* * *

**ii.**

The Kirkland's bloods are special, his mother once said to him when he asked about Erin. She said, a lot of the Kirkland family member weren't humans. But they were not bad; most of them were not, at least.

"She is most probably the kindest being I've ever met, Alfred," his mother said, both of her hands busy kneading the dough. "When your father left and the others saw me as a failure, she and the previous mistress took care of me until I gave birth to you."

"But you say she isn't human. What do you mean by that?" Alfred asked.

"She drinks blood from human beings," his mother explained. "She has the power to control us humans and make them her servant. But she didn't do it."

Of course, Alfred was aware from first that Erin was nothing like him. She was extremely pale, with a pair of dark, reddish bat wings attached to her back, and she avoided sunlight as much as she could. The only time she could visit Alfred and his mother was when the sun had already set. When she really had to go outside when the sun was still high, she always took the pink parasol to shield her.

But there was never anything special between him and Erin; they were friends – but that was all.

It was Arthur who changed his life completely.

Since that day, he spent most of his free time going to Kirkland mansion to visit and play with Arthur. At first, the little boy seemed determined not to trust anyone beside Erin and the Mistress, but when one day Alfred didn't come to the mansion as he was going downtown to stock for winter with his mother, he came back greeted with the sight of a tired Erin and a crying Arthur, who quickly ran towards him for a hug.

He and Arthur made great friends since that day until Alfred realised what kind of barrier that stood between them.

* * *

**iii.**

It was the Time.

Vampires were technically immortal beings – they were eternally young as long as they got human's blood as their daily food; a small portion that wouldn't kill their prey was enough to satisfy them.

It was when Alfred was sixteen that he realised that he couldn't stay like this anymore. He was a normal, mortal human, who would age every year and die seventy years later, probably less or more.

The gap between them was way too far already. He couldn't bear to watch Arthur grew accustomed to him. Sure, he had grown out of his childlike state, but Arthur was not near enough old as Alfred, and the fear couldn't help but creep onto Alfred's heart.

He wanted to grow together with Arthur. No matter what happened, he wanted to _live_ beside him. To forever accompany Arthur, to forever _love_ him.

"Alfred," Erin's voice shook the teen out of his daze like state. "Hey. What are you doing here, lad? Why don't you come inside instead? Arthur must have woken up by now."

"I know," Alfred nodded, motioned the other to come closer and sit beside him. "Hey, Erin... What do you think of me and Arthur?"

Erin frowned. "I'm not sure what you're driving at, Alfred."

"I mean..." Alfred stared far down the hill, seeing the smokes coming out of house chimneys and people shutting down their stores. "Will our relationship change when I was still young and alive, and not when I was old and wrinkly, lying on my death bed, with Arthur still looked as young as a twenty year old man?"

"You mean... Arthur returning your feeling—and not as in brothers-best friends' relationship—but in a romantic way?" When Alfred nodded, Erin chuckled. "Oh, Alfred. You have really grown, after all."

"Oh, come on. It's not funny," Alfred pouted.

"Alright, alright," Erin smiled sadly. "Well, basically, there is nothing we can do, Alfred. We are different from humans; and Arthur is special, so I can't guarantee anything."

Alfred recalled; Erin once told him that the Kirklands who were vampires were mostly women – there were only a few male vampires that even Erin could state their names one by one. Erin was not the only female vampire in the mansion, but Arthur was the only male—not even once in a thousand years, she said.

He sighed sadly, dropping his head between his knees. "No guarantee, huh..." he murmured. "But then... There is _always_ a way, right?"

Erin sighed. Alfred could be so hard-headed when he had made up his mind about something. "...I'll try," the vampire girl finally said quietly. "My late father built a huge library to do research about vampires when he married my mother. There must be something over there... But don't keep your hopes high; the library is almost five hundred years old not touched."

"Oh, God, Erin, thank you so much!" Alfred beamed and leaped to hug her, effectively tackling her back to the ground. "I love you! I'll even give you my portion of Mother's usual apple pie when she bakes one!"

"Alfred!" Erin squeaked. "Get off me, lad! You're heavy!"

After their struggle (or rather, Erin's attempt to get Alfred off her), they went inside and a maid made him tea while Erin went off somewhere. Not even a minute later, Arthur came to the dining hall, greeting Alfred with a light smile and his bright emerald eyes.

"Alfred!" he smiled, showing his fangs. "Look, I have wings now! Isn't that great?" Arthur turned around, showing his back towards Alfred. "But I still can't fly with it..." he flapped his wings experimentally and jumped on the air, only to hover for a few minutes before falling down again.

Alfred looked at the small wings with slight pity, as well as excitement. Male vampires were always underdeveloped; in the age of a hundred above, a normal vampire should have developed her wings completely and was able to fly. Arthur's, however, were attached on his back not longer than five inches.

At least, he still had his wings.

"Hey, Arthur, cheer up!" Alfred gave him a big hug and a reassuring grin. "You'll improve gradually, so don't worry! How about we have some tea now?"

Although his mind was full of thoughts, Alfred wouldn't let Arthur share the same worries. He was still young, and he deserved to be treated as one.

* * *

**two:  
but it is dangerous when they grow desperate.**

* * *

**iv.**

For the rest of the year until he reached seventeen, Alfred watched Arthur grow.

His wings didn't seem to develop much (growing twelve inches longer still wasn't enough for Arthur to fly), but his body changed. He wasn't the little boy Alfred met ten years ago; he was now evolving, slowly, to a mature vampire.

This included his growing appetite for blood.

At first it wasn't so bad. Ever since he was born, Erin had shared her blood for him, until now when she was drinking from the Mistress, so everything was under control. However, his true nature was slowly appearing to the surface, and Arthur couldn't deny himself wanting for blood from another human; a living human, whom he could drink from until the rest of said human's life.

Months rolled, day by day, Arthur's desire for blood grew stronger. He was no longer satisfied with Erin's blood; his body needed more, more, more, to help supporting his growth as well.

It was not even a week before Alfred's seventeenth birthday that Arthur finally gave up to his desires.

* * *

**v.**

Erin was in the kitchen, a maid told him when Alfred arrived at the mansion. She brought him to Arthur's room instead as Alfred insisted, without Erin knowing—although the maid had reminded him of Erin's warning—where the half-developed vampire lied on the bed, facing the wall, exhausted for the lack of blood for several days. Erin had been giving him more blood by draining the animals around the forest, but it still wasn't enough.

"Arthur? You okay there?" Alfred had greeted him softly, not wanting to startle Arthur or making his condition worse. The mistress had expressed her worry over the young male vampire a few times when she visited his mother, saying that Arthur still refused to pick a human to drink from.

"...Erin?" Arthur called weakly. His voice was barely above a whisper, rough and needy.

"It's me," he tried again, approaching Arthur slowly.

His steps were halted when Arthur twitched and said. "No. Please... Don't come closer."

Alfred knew that the smell of his blood must be tempting, and Arthur was trying hard to fight it. But no; he wasn't going to let Arthur suffer like this. He had decided; he would rather be Arthur's servant for the rest of his life, letting Arthur drink from him than seeing him with other human. He wasn't going to let that happen.

Arthur's whole body began shaking; he was still resisting. "Alfred, please... Just... Just come back later. When the sun is down, I'll go to your house, I promise."

"No," Alfred insisted. "Arthur, please don't torture yourself like this," he said, touching Arthur's shoulder. The young vampire flinched, but Alfred didn't budge. He forcefully turned Arthur's face so they were face-to-face, ocean blue against forest green. "Don't resist."

The moment he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled one shoulder off, Arthur jumped.

His body was still trembling and he hesitated, and there was just an inch gap between his canine and Alfred's shoulder. "It's okay," Alfred whispered, encouraging him by stroking Arthur's pale blonde locks lovingly. "I'm _yours_, Arthur. We will be together forever and I will love you, until the day I die. I promise."

And then Arthur bit him.

The biting didn't feel exactly pleasant; Arthur's sharp canines pierced on the juncture of his shoulder and neck, tearing his skin and sucking on his blood before it could flow down and stain his shirt. Alfred flinched from the pain, but the most uncomfortable part was that their bodies were flush against each other, Alfred's hard abdomen pressing onto Arthur's softer, flat one.

It was an awkward position for two people, added by the fact Arthur was now sucking from him—or maybe he had finished his meal and was lapping on his wound, from what Alfred thought he was feeling. Despite feeling faint, he continued stroking Arthur's pale locks until the vampire detached his mouth from Alfred's shoulder and pulled back, wiping his mouth.

"...I'm sorry," Arthur said, his eyes wet and shone with guilt. "I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault," Alfred shushed him, pulling his shirt back into position and pulled Arthur closer, cradling him on his lap. "It's a part of you, a part of your nature as a vampire. You shouldn't deny it. You shouldn't resist it."

"It's my fault," the young vampire shook his head. "We're now... forever bonded until the day you die. I have to feed from your blood forever and then watch you die," Arthur buried his face in Alfred's chest, refusing to face him. "Why am I not a human like my other brothers...?"

"No, it's not your fault," Alfred said. "And I... I won't die before you do. I promise, Arthur. We'll find a way. _I_'ll find a way."

"How...?"

"It's not important. Right now, you have to get some rest," Alfred then lifted the vampire and laid him properly on the bed, pulling the covers over him. "Sleep."

And Arthur did so.

* * *

**vi.**

"I see Arthur had drunk from you."

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, I'm glad he looks healthier after that. My blood wasn't wasted for nothing, it seems."

A few weeks after that incident, Arthur's growth had been steadily increasing, as well as his health. His wings had grown several inches more, and although he was still not capable of flying far, at least he could hover properly with them. He also gained some height, and his face had changed more maturely, so now at least he looked the same age as Alfred was.

"Yeah," Erin smiled. "I started to worry whether he would stay that small the entire time. I guess not," she chuckled, doing several air-somersaults despite the cramped space in Alfred's home.

The silence that followed them shortly was deafening until Alfred decided to break it. "So Erin... Have you found something in the library?"

"You still haven't given up, have you?" her dark green eyes pierced Alfred's ocean blue directly. "Alfred, immortality is not something you can take lightly. You risked your own life, and furthermore, your mother's, if you really decide that you want to give up your mortality for Arthur."

"I..." Alfred hung his head low and murmured sadly. "So there really isn't a way, huh...?"

Erin sighed tiredly and landed on both her feet. "Listen, Alfred, I never say that there's _no_ way," she dug in her pocket and pulled out a smooth, polished stone. "I plan to give this to you later, but I guess sooner wouldn't hurt." She put the stone on Alfred's opened palm.

"What's this?" Alfred stared at the stone. It looked like an ordinary stone that could be found along the stream near the Kirkland mansion.

"It's... something my father used when he married my mother," Erin explained. "My mother was a vampire. And my father looked every way he could use to cancel his mortality and accompanied my mother until she died."

Alfred's eyes shone in hope. "Did it work?"

"Quite successfully, I should say," Erin pulled out a scrap of paper and thrust it into Alfred's hand. "This is the spell circle used to activate the magic. Use it at the right time, Alfred. This magic is a lifetime magic and it's... very complicated."

"So can I activate it now?"

"No," Erin snapped. "It has to be used in dangerous situation only. As I said, Alfred, it's a lifetime magic. Its effect keeps you human... But not human."

"What do you mean?" Alfred scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"I can't tell you," Erin shook her head and flew outside Alfred's room. "It's only what I can do for you, and the rest is up to you, my dear." She said. "I should go now. Mistress Kirkland must have finished tea time with your mother."

Alfred nodded. "I'll go to the mansion tomorrow. See you soon, Erin."

As Erin disappeared from his sight, Alfred glanced at the stone on his hand once more, its surface glinting beneath the dim light of candle. He couldn't help wondering what he should do with it.

In the end, he decided to wrap it and the spell paper with a cloth, keeping it on his pocket for safety measure. He didn't know when he would need it, so it's better to keep it close, right?

* * *

**three:  
love blinds you, therefore, it's a curse you should avoid.**

* * *

**vii.**

It never passed Alfred's mind that eventually Arthur would understand the term of being intimate.

It happened during Alfred's nineteenth summer; the heat was always unbearable and although he loved his house, it wasn't the perfect shelter for heat, so he usually went to the Kirkland mansion. Because of their 'special' inhabitants, Kirkland mansion was built with as less windows as it could manage, without neglecting the air flow, so it was always cool despite the seasons.

Alfred went to the mansion together with his mother, who wanted to meet the mistress to have tea time, as usual. Not wanting to get in the way of females' talking, he went upstairs to search for Arthur. He really liked Alfred to lay his head on his lap and stroke his hair as they conversed idly.

Alfred knocked the door of Arthur's room, hearing the faint 'enter' murmured by the young vampire and entered. "Arthur?"

"Ah, Alfred, it's you," Arthur turned to face the teen-turned-man. "Is your mother downstairs with Erin and the Mistress?"

"Yeah, and their conversation are always so booooring," Alfred whined and slumped down on the bed like it was his. He positioned his head on Arthur's lap like he always did and began chatting happily. He felt happy, feeling like ten years back when they first met; but now, it was Arthur's turn to treat him like he was a little boy, stroking his hair like he was five.

When it was Arthur's turn to speak, he looked straight at Arthur's face upside-down with his current position, observing several details on the young vampire's face. His eyes were still so green, glowing like the first time they met, still captivating Alfred every time their gazes met. His lips were full and red, glistening with saliva, and his cheeks were no longer having their baby fats, instead nearly showing his cheekbones.

Arthur was always so thin, Alfred thought, bringing his hands to touch Arthur's hand currently stroking his head and gave it a gentle squeeze. Outside he was so strong and stubborn, but in reality he was always so delicate, so precious like a porcelain doll.

Going too deep with his thoughts, Alfred almost didn't notice when Arthur had gripped his hands back and then leaned down to kiss him, upside down. He widened his eyes in shock as their lips met; a shy, timid kiss of an inexperienced teen.

When they parted, Arthur looked at Alfred with a shy smile, his wings fluttered close. "...I guess I'm not as talented as the girls you kissed?"

Alfred just stared at him with disbelief, his cheeks tainted with slight blush. Well, he might have kissed a few girls around the village; it was only a small town, and the girls would probably kill to have a kiss from Alfred, a healthy, handsome nineteen-year old man.

But the kiss just now... It was different.

Alfred shook his head. "I think it's nice. You haven't kissed anyone else... have you?" Arthur shook his head slowly. "So... That was your first kiss?"

"Well, if you wanted to say so," Arthur said. "But to me, it's _not_ just my first kiss. It's my first kiss... with the one I love so much."

And then when Arthur kissed him again, Alfred pressed back.

* * *

**viii.**

The curtains were closed, so even the slightest light couldn't get into the room. The sounds of hushed whispers and harsh breathings could be heard in the flicker of a candle lit inside.

"Nnh..."

"Arthur... You okay?"

"I'm fine," said person huffed, his thick eyebrows scrunched in either pain or pleasure, Alfred couldn't guess. With the fingernails digging on his back and Arthur's mouth latching onto his shoulder, Alfred held the smaller man on his lap, cock deep buried inside the other. "Shouldn't you... m-move already?"

"I won't move until you're ready, Arthur," Alfred said, his breath fanning the young vampire's ear. "Does it still hurt?"

"I'll be fine, Alfred," Arthur glared at him, his eyes determined. "I... I'm not human. I won't break that easily."

Alfred hummed, his hand drifted down and grabbed Arthur's smooth ass cheeks, lifting them so slowly. Arthur's breath hitched.

"I don't want to break you," Alfred murmured, his other hand stroking Arthur's pale blonde strands. "I'll treat you so carefully because you're precious to me."

Arthur groaned when Alfred set a steady rhythm in lifting and sinking his body, his fingers twitching and his mouth sinking lower, breaking the skin until the blood flowed out. Alfred winced in pain, but resumed his thrusting.

It wasn't long until they both finished—Alfred's fingers digging into Arthur's waist and cringed when he felt Arthur biting harder and sucking his blood as he came as well.

They sat there on Arthur's bed in the silence until Arthur chuckled breathlessly. "It's... better than I thought."

"Having sex?"

"Not only that," Arthur leaned on Alfred's lean abs and nuzzled against it. "The real bonding between you and me. It feels real now," he closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "I love you."

Just three simple words and Alfred felt like he wanted to cry. "...I love you too," he whispered. "And I will always be, until the day I die."

* * *

**ix.**

"Are you sharing a _special_ relationship with Arthur?"

Despite the tone, Alfred knew that it wasn't a question, had known the older vampire so much. "Yes, Erin."

Erin's green eyes narrowed. "You're not going to deny it?"

"What's the point anyway, when you already know the truth?" Alfred shrugged, his hands still busy trying to break an egg. When he failed again, he groaned. "Oh, I really hate this."

Erin's frown broke and she laughed, her voice loud and clear like the little bells of the church ringing. "Come, I'll help you." She put down the parasol shielding her on the dining chair and showed him how to knock the egg gently on the rim of the bowl, and then opened it through the crack. "You knocked it too hard, Alfred. Learn to control your strength."

Alfred pouted. "You came to my house to curse me for... er... you know..." At this point, his face went red, but he coughed and continued, "or to catch me trying to bake a cake and make fun of me?"

"Well, I come here because your mother told me that you're trying to bake a special cake for your 'special one', and I just come to make sure that you're not going to break my little brother's heart to pieces. Oh, and your mother said to me to help you too so you won't set the house on fire."

"Rude," Alfred resumed his job, now successfully breaking his second egg into the bowl. "Okay, that's set, now..."

Erin glanced at the cookbook. "What, you still use that nonsense? And chocolate cake no less?"

"Everybody likes chocolate!" Alfred exclaimed, lifting a sack of freshly milled flour and poured the content into the bowl. Accidentally in his haste, he ended up covering the whole counter with flour. Erin laughed. "Oh, just stop laughing and help me already!"

"Oh, oh, Alfred," Erin heaved, trying to stop her laugh. "I just—why don't you just buy a cake from the store downtown, instead of troubling yourself like this?"

"It's a cake for _Arthur_!" Alfred huffed and began cleaning the flour, sneezing twice.

"Alright, I understand," Erin giggled. "Everything for love, wouldn't you, Alfred?"

"Shut up," the blonde grumbled.

They spent the evening with Alfred trying to bake the cake with Erin's help. It didn't come out successfully, but he's still satisfied of how it tasted although Erin disagreed.

When his mother went home, Erin bid Alfred goodbye and promised to come back some time later to teach him about the cake more.

Too bad that it was the promise that she could never fulfil to Alfred.

* * *

**x.**

Autumn was approaching, and a week had passed with no news from Erin. His mother went there once, but she said that the maid rejected her instantly by the order of the Mistress and Erin themselves.

"What could have happened inside...?" His mother wondered. Alfred had no idea at all as well.

Until one day Alfred arrived home from downtown shopping and his mother rushed outside, panic filled her aging face. "Alfred! It's... It's..."

"What is it, mother?" Alfred dropped all the groceries and caught his mother, now sobbing. "What happened when I was gone?"

"A-Al..." his mother stuttered between her sob. "It's... it's the mansion..."

"What?"

"The mansion. Kirkland mansion was attacked by the vampire hunters!"

* * *

**four:  
the price of sacrifice is high but isn't in vain.**

* * *

**xi.**

Alfred had never run that fast in his life.

He could see the smokes and fire billowing from the mansion. Dead bodies tumbled from the top of the hill; most of them having a large wooden stake planted on their chests, some of them died snapping their necks apart. Alfred winced, recognising some of the bodies as the maids and helpers around the mansion, but he paid them no heed as he kept running, his head filled with terrors.

_Arthur_, he whispered. _Arthur. Erin. The mistress. Where were they? Did they survive the attack?_

_Were they alright?_

Suddenly, Alfred tripped over something; he fell down face first, nose slamming to the ground. Immediately he stood, holding his now bleeding nose and cursed. "Dammit!" He turned around, spotting a wooden trapdoor hidden amongst the tall, yellowing grasses. The metal handle was the thing that made Alfred tripped over earlier.

"...Alfred?"

The voice came nearly inaudible from inside the door, but Alfred recognised it as Erin's voice. "Erin! Erin, is that you?" He hurried over, his fingers hooked on the handle to yank the door open, but Erin barked almost immediately.

"Don't, Alfred!" she wriggled deeper slowly, trying to avoid the sunlight coming through the cracks, but some of them shone on her arm. Alfred watched it redden almost as soon as it showed up, and Erin hissed in pain, so he moved to block the sunlight with his body. "How's... How's the mansion?"

Alfred redirected his gaze towards the burning mansion. He shook his head. "I... don't know. All I can see from here are the smokes and fire," he silently said, accepting the folded pink parasol nudged onto him and opened it, helping Erin out of the tunnel and keeping her under the parasol. " Where... Where is Arthur? Is Mistress Kirkland alright?"

Erin trembled. "Those stupid h-humans... pierced her heart with the wood when the sunlight didn't work," she said. "She died..." Erin sobbed pitifully. Alfred had never heard her being so sad before.

"How... How about Arthur? Is he okay?" Alfred hurriedly asked.

"He's here," Erin said, and Arthur slowly came to sight, unconscious on Erin's arms, the invisibility spell cast on him slowly wore out. "Thank God he hasn't got some blood in the past few days, so it's easy to knock him out. Now listen here, Alfred," her voice turned serious. "I want you to take my parasol and bring Arthur with you. Bring your mother, too. You have to get away from here as far as you can."

"But—!" Alfred gasped in horror. "If I do that, you—!"

"I can't go with you," Erin stopped him mid-sentence. "The parasol is not big enough to hold us both, and the tunnel just led back inside the mansion, so it's useless," she pushed Alfred further from her, her wings half-exposed to the light despite being folded so closely on her back. "Get away now! I still can smell the cursed hunters' scents from here!"

"But—"

"_NOW_!" Erin barked.

Alfred had no choice.

With a final shove from the vampire girl, Alfred pulled the unconscious Arthur, limp as a doll, into his embrace as he grabbed the parasol together and turned back, running back towards his home, careful not to trip over anything.

He could smell the burning skin and hair even as he ran, mixing with the suffocating smokes from the burning building. Without he realised, he cried, clutching the figure on his arms unconsciously as he whispered his last goodbye.

* * *

**xii.**

"Alfred," his mother greeted him breathlessly as he barged into the house, throwing the parasol away and closing the door behind him with a slam. The house was dark as the shades had all been pulled down. She looked at the unconscious Arthur on Alfred's arms and she inhaled sharply. "Alfred, is Erin..."

Alfred looked at his mother with sorrow in his eyes. Although he had said nothing, it was enough for her to understand what had happened. She covered her mouth and cried silently, mourning for the loss of best friends and her greatest supporters.

Giving her the time to mourn, Alfred pulled a clean, small knife from his pocket and slit his palm with it, resting his wounded hand on Arthur's lips as his other hand parted them. He watched as his blood trailed down slowly, dripping into Arthur's mouth.

All of sudden the green-eyed vampire gasped awake, sitting down on the bed and coughing violently. "Erin!" he yelled, nearly hyperventilating.

Alfred was quick to react. "Arthur! Ssh, calm down. It's me," he cradled the young vampire close and rocked back and forth to soothe him. "Are you alright?"

"Alfred," Arthur hiccupped, his fingernails digging onto Alfred's upper arms. "The Mistress... The Mistress was..."

"I know. Please calm down, Arthur," Alfred said glumly, pulling his shirt off and directing the smaller blonde's mouth on his shoulder. Being hysterical and not fed properly for a few days, Arthur didn't hesitate to suck from Alfred, the blood dripped messily on the sheets and the floor. Fortunately for Alfred, Arthur stopped as soon as he felt dizzy.

Alfred nearly forgot his mother was standing nearby if not by her voice calling for Arthur, asking whether he was alright. Arthur, seemed unaware that the woman was present, jolted from his position on Alfred's lap and withdrew, saliva and blood trailing from the edge of his mouth.

"Mrs. Jones!" Arthur gasped. "I... I..."

"Don't worry, Arthur. Here, wipe yourself clean," she kindly offered him a clean towel, which Arthur reluctantly accepted. "We don't have much time to escape together, and leaving the house empty will definitely raise suspicion," his mother said. "So I'm staying behind to buy both of you some time."

Alfred gasped. Not again he would let his closest people die. "No, mother, we will escape together," he looked up to his mother.

"No," she shook her head sadly. "You should go. You're both young, and you still deserved to live." Tears started forming in her blue eyes once more. "I have lost all the will to live when your father first left me, but then Erin and the Mistress came to help me," she explained, her voice trembled. "Now they're all gone; my only hope is you, Alfred. Don't you dare disappoint me. Take Arthur away with you, and this," she handed him a golden pocket watch. "It was the last treasure of your father."

"Mrs. Jones..." Arthur whispered.

"And you too, Arthur," she cupped Arthur's cheeks gently. "Take care of yourself, my dear. Don't let them capture you."

She motioned them to follow her to the kitchen. Alfred widened his eyes in realisation when he understood what his mother was going to do.

"This tunnel will lead to the edge of the forest," she pulled the handle on the trapdoor on the kitchen floor. "It will start getting dark soon, so you don't have to worry about Arthur. Now go, quick! You first, Arthur," she said, helping Arthur down the door before his son followed.

"Mother..." Alfred whispered. "It's not too late. They won't find us..."

His mother shook her head. "Goodbye, Alfred. Be safe," she said. "My prayer will always be with you."

And the door closed above him with a slam.

* * *

**xiii.**

When Alfred and Arthur reached the edge of the forest through the underground pass, the sun had gone down almost completely, but they still could see the blackening remains of what was once Arthur's home. Arthur looked at it sadly, his wings fluttering.

Alfred knew that he was sad, but they couldn't waste the sacrifice of the people that risked their life for them. "Let's get moving, Arthur," he said.

But Arthur just stood there, his gaze distant and his lips trembled. "Erin..."

"Arthur," Alfred insisted, tugging on Arthur's hand for emphasise. "We can't spend time here; the hunters can be near—"

"_Is that them?"_

"_One of them has wings. Then he must be from that cursed mansion!"_

"_Kill him! KILL __**THEM**__!"_

Alfred couldn't see really well in the near dark, but he could tell that there were a few people moving through the grass, approaching them quickly. "Arthur!" he tugged his lover once more, but when Arthur still didn't budge, he lifted the small body onto his shoulder and run into the forest.

"_They ran away! Get them!"_

Alfred felt that his breath was getting shorter and shorter. The voices were getting nearer, and with the additional weight in his shoulder, it was hard to move so fast like usual. Eventually he tripped over a tree root, Arthur thrown from his shoulder.

"Dammit!" Alfred cursed and scrambled towards Arthur. He hurt his wrists and ankle when he fell down earlier, but he paid himself no heed and went to check on the vampire. Thankfully, Arthur just hurt his arm.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Jones' son."

The voice made Alfred lift his head to stare at the owner. His clutch on Arthur grew tighter until he could feel the bump on his pocket. "Ferdinand," he hissed. He was the butcher downtown, whose shop Alfred often visited. "What are you doing, bastard?"

"I was just trying to cleanse our village," he said cruelly, his dark brown eyes glinting in the dark. "They're monsters, and they don't deserve a place in our village. I'm taking the matter on my own hands when the other disagreed with me."

"So that's what you do? Attacking innocent people?" Alfred felt his heart beat faster. He released a hand pressing Arthur's wound and put it in his pocket, grasping the cloth filled with the stone and spell he received from Erin a few years back.

_["Remember, Alfred... It has to be used in dangerous situation only."]_

"Innocent? _People_?" Ferdinand snorted and moved closer, along with the people together with him. "They're _vampires_, Alfred. They eat from humans. They're _monsters_."

Alfred felt the anger built inside him. No, they're not monsters; they're just a little different from normal humans, but they still had feelings. Alfred knew it so well; Arthur loved him as much as he loved Arthur. His grip on the stone got tighter, not realising that his and Arthur's blood was soaked by the spell paper.

"Whatever. All that remains is that little male vampire there, and then the job's done," Ferdinand smirked, his hands holding the stake raised high. "Say goodbye to your little vampire, Alfred."

* * *

**xiv.**

Alfred snapped his eyes open. He panted harshly and looked around.

The people, that were surrounding them earlier, weren't moving. They looked as if they were frozen in place, staring at them with wide eyes and horrid expression.

The stake stopped only inches above their heads, Ferdinand still holding it with his expression mirroring the others. Alfred crawled slowly from beneath the man and rested his back on a nearby tree.

"Arthur," Alfred breathed out, relieved that the green-eyed vampire was still in one piece, unharmed except from the wounds of his fall.

"Alfred," Arthur answered. "What happened? Why are they all...?"

"The spell," the blue-eyed man dug into his pocket to search for the stone and spell, only to find them gone. The pocket watch his mother gave him earlier was still with him, but when he pulled it out, the golden brass colour had turned into rusty dark red in several places, and the hands were not moving.

"Look," Arthur pointed at the back of the watch, where the magic circle that was initially in the paper had been graven so precisely. "This... Is this the spell Erin gave you?"

Alfred nodded. "Do you know what it does?"

"It's... a time spell," Arthur reluctantly answered. "By casting this spell, you are the ruler of the time, Alfred. You can fasten and slow the time, and even... stop it." He looked around. "I think this is the cause of one of your powers now."

"But what activated it? I don't recall citing a spell or such earlier."

"The activator of the spell is an offer of yourself and the reason you have to inherit the power," Arthur explained, taking the pocket watch on his palm. "If the conditions are fulfilled, then the Time will submit to you."

Alfred looked at his bloodied palm. "My blood," he gasped in realisation. He remembered that he clutched on Arthur's wounded arm before he touched the stone, so there must be a little of Arthur's blood mixed with his.

Yes; Arthur would be the reason that he needed the power. He needed it to protect his lover.

Alfred hugged Arthur in relief. "I did it," he whispered. "I can freeze the time in me so I can stay eternally young, just like you. I can be beside you forever, Arthur," he tightened his embrace.

"Yes you do," Arthur chuckled breathlessly. He pulled from the other's arms and smiled before leaning up to kiss him.

The metallic smell of blood from Alfred's lips soon wafted on the air, but they kept kissing, thrusting their tongue into each other's mouth and digging fingers onto the other's shirt. Eventually they ran out of breath and pulled apart, lips smeared with Alfred's blood.

"Let's get going after we get rid of them," Alfred smiled. "Where do you want to go, sweetheart?"

"Anywhere you're going, love," Arthur licked the blood on his lips. He put his hands around Alfred's neck and kissed him once more. "As long as I'm with you."

* * *

**five (epilogue):  
tales untold should be left untold.**

* * *

**xv.**

The water in the bathtub swayed as Arthur moved up and down, creating small waves and causing the lavender-scented water to spill on the floor. Alfred groaned as he dug his nails on Arthur's slim hips, the moans and grunts echoed on the marble walls as the thrusts grew erratic.

"Arthur, sweetheart," Alfred's sound was strained, trying to hold back to just flip their position off and finish the job. "I'm close—"

The other just responded with a slight flutter of his wet, dark wings, a blush prominent on his face and a soft smile. "Then l-let it... ah... out..."

Arthur threw his head back when he came, his lips parted in a silent scream as Alfred muttered a curse and held the other close, releasing inside him. Both panting hard, they shared a kiss before Arthur moved towards Alfred's neck, taking his afternoon dose of blood.

Alfred lifted the smaller off him and pulled the plug, snatching a clean towel from the rack nearby and dried them both. "It was marvellous, Arthur," he smiled, pressing a kiss onto Arthur's forehead. "I love you. If only we could find a better place to live..."

"Shush, poppet. This place is great," he winced when Alfred rubbed his lower back too hard. "I can't ask for a better home like this. The lake nearby is perfect, and nobody will disturb us in here. My only concern is the still the sunlight, though. If only there's a way to block the sunlight..."

"Hey, baby, there's always magic," Alfred grinned. "I say a green mist will solve the problem. I'm not sure that the inhabitants around will agree with us blocking the sunlight..."

Arthur chuckled. "Heh. Well, that's a good idea," Arthur slowly stood up and hovered low with his wings. He gave Alfred another kiss as they headed outside the bathroom, ready to face another day.

After that day, nobody had ever seen them again. Rumours said that they resided somewhere deep inside the forest, while the other said that they had moved completely out of the destroyed village and began a new life in a foreign country.

But wherever they were, nobody will ever know.

Because as long as they had each other, with the promise of a lifetime loyalty, they would be fine.

**- [end] –**

* * *

* Erin = Northern Ireland.

* Mistress Kirkland was not a vampire.

* There are tons of Touhou's Embodiment of Scarlet Devil serial references in this story:

1) Alfred = the chief maid who works in Scarlet Mansion and has the ability to control space and time, Sakuya.  
2) Arthur = the Scarlet Devil herself, Remilia.  
3) The pocket watch turned rusty dark red is a reference to stage 5's theme, _'The Maid and the Pocket Watch of Blood'_.  
4) The place mentioned in the epilogue is Gensokyo, the mystery land which is the background for all Touhou games and series. In canon, Scarlet Mansion is surrounded by the Misty Lake guarded by fairies.  
5) All Arthur's vampire traits; his inability to turn humans to vampires although he bites them, and that he doesn't drain the human he's drinking from dry are also Remilia's vampire traits.  
6) The title of this fic, _'Septette for the Dead Queen'_, is Remilia's battle theme, which is directly translated as _'Septette for the Dead Princess'_.


End file.
